Toy parachute



A ril 20,1948.

A. L. RUTHVEN TOY PARACHUTE Filed Sept. 19, 1946 INVENTOR.

' AMI-250 L. Farm/aw BY Wm 7'5/15/90 I64; P6? 644 zrraemera App 20, 194%TOY PARACHUTIE Alfred L. Ruthven, Denver, Colo assignor oi three-fifthsto himself as trustee for Betty R. Ruthven, Thomas D. Ruthven, andSharon ii. Ruthven, one-fifth to Helen D. Ruthven, and one-fifth toLouis B. Butliven Application September 19, 1946, Serial No. 697,949

6 Claims. 11

This invention relates to toy parachutes and especially to means ofprojecting the same into the air and securing them to and releasing themfrom the projectile.

The present invention is an improvement upon the parachute, securing andrelease means disclosed in my pending application Serial Number 641,198,filed January 15, 1946.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simpler, moresubstantial and more economical structure of the class disclosed in mysaid pending application and one which will accomplish the objectsthereof in a more efficient manner.

Aiurther object is to provide a projectile for an article of the classdescribed which shall have a flxed parachute-holding tip, ofsubstantially like shape and area on both sides of the projectile and,therefore, be symmetrical in itself and relative to the balance of theprojectile combined with novel means for retaining the parachute on thetip while desired and efllciently releasing the parachute from the tipat the desired time.

With these and other objects in view, all of which will more fullyhereinafter appear, the invention comprises certain novel constructions,combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described and asdefined in the appended claims and as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which Figure l is an elevation of the projectile withparachute secured. thereto in condition for projection.

Figure 2 is a view illustrating the relative positions of the projectileand parachute and associated parts immediately upon release of theparachute from the tip during reversal of direction of the projectile atthe end of the projected flight and before the opening of the parachute.

Figure 3 is a view of the projectile and parachute after the latter hasopened and the apps.- ratus is in downward flight.

Figure 4 is a broadside elevation of a modified form of tip structure.

Figure 5 is an edge view of the structure illustrated at Figure 4.

' Figure 6 is a detail view of a further modified form of projectiletip.

The projectile is here illustrated as an arrow adapted to be projectedfrom a bow and it will be herein described in terms appropriate to suchillustration but it will be understood that any suitable projectionmeans may be employed and that such modification of the projectile, asmay be desirable to adapt the projectile for projection by such othermeans, may be made without affecting that part of the structure of theprojectile which is material to the present invention.

The projectile comprises a shaft 6 having a notch I at its rear end forengagement with a bow string or other suitable projecting means, notshown. Suitable guiding fins 8 are provided near the rear end of theprojectile. Means indicated at 8 are provided for attachment of theshrouds cord of the parachute as hereinafter decribedy The front end ofthe projectile is provided with a tip it of metal or other suitablematerial and this may be conveniently secured to the projectile byslotting the end of the projectile and positioning the base-lug Ila ofthe tip in the slot and securing it by pin l I. The tip end of the shaftis preferably reinforced with a sleeve 6a. It will be understood thatthe tip is substantially equal in size, weight, and contour on bothsides of] the projectile for steadying the projectile in flight,increasing the distance of flight and purposes of general efliciency inoperation. The' particular shape of the tip may be varied as desiredprovided there be maintained a straight forward edge perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis of the projectile and that the ends of the tip aresufficiently rounded, as indicated at lib, so as not to impede theparachute in sliding oil. one end or the other, as later described.

The parachute i2 is of any suitable material and structure and has acrown-cord l3 and shrouds l4 converging to a ring I 5, or other suit-'able fastening, to which is attached one end of the shrouds cord I.whose other end is secured to the rear portion of shaft 8 by anysuitable means indicated at 9.

It will be understood that the parachute I2 is collapsed and folded overthe tip ID as illustrated at Figure 1 and to hold the parachute in thisposition, the crown cord I3 is drawn downwardly and through the slot 1where it is held by the bow string until the device is projected.Thereafter, during the projected flight, the air resistance holds theparachute in folded position over the tip Ill. When the force of theprojection is spent, and the projectile is incourse of reversing itsdirection from upward to downward flight, it is desired that theparachute be immediately separated from the tip so that it may open andfloat the projectile to earth in the position illustrated in Figure 3.

In the form of apparatus disclosed in my said co-pending application,the parachute-holding tip is either pivoted or the front edge thereof isinclined or the major portion of the tip is to one side of theprojectile shaft, these elements in structure being provided to assistin the sliding of the parachute from the tip.

The present invention, however, provides a tip which is stationary andwhich is also symmetrical in itself and relative to the shaft of theprojectile, so that when the parachute is folded over the tip and issecured thereto by the cords i3 and IS, the tension of the parachute onthe forward edge or the tip will be substantially equal at the centerand on both sides of the projectile shaft tip and this equality intension tends to impede a sliding of the parachute endwise from the tipand in order to obviate this impedance and facilitate the separation ofthe parachute from the tip. I have provided a resilient link l1,preferably of rubber, in the shrouds cord 16 which link, when normallycontracted as illustrated at Figure 2, will shorten cord l8 and cause aportion of it to loop as at IGa. When, however, the parachute is foldedon tip l0, and tension is applied to the crown cord ii, the link II willbe thereby stretched as illustrated at Figure 1, until the fastening I5is drawn away from the fastening 5 to the full length of cord IS, inwhich position there will be no loop l6a. the portion of cord i6, whichnormally constitutes said loop, being drawn out to substantialcoincidence with the stretched link l1.

When the projectile, carrying the parachute, is projected, the airresistance will hold the parachute tightly over tip I0 and overcome thetendency of link H to contract and draw the parachute from the tip III,but when the air resistance lessens at the end of the projected. flight,the contracting force of the link I I will be sufficient to draw theparachute over the edge of the tip and flip the crown portion of theparachute off of the tip ID. The separation of the parachute from thetip i0 is aided by the sidewise pressure of the air on the parachute asthe projectile reverses its position from projected flight to downwardflight, it being understood that as the tip l0 turns from the upwardflight to the downward flight, the tip and projectile will encounterexceedingly small air resistance, whereas the parachute, when freed ofthe air resistance encountered during the projected flight, being ofsoft and light material, will fluff up and encounter a relatively largeair' resistance or prassure which will aid in restrainin the parachutewhile the tip and shaft drop and thus separate the parachute from thetip. The contracting of the link I! initiates the action of freeing theparachute from the tip and the air resistance aids in the completion ofsuch freeing action.

At Figures 4 and 5, I have illustrated a modified tip structurecomprising a metal sleeve l8 adapted to fit over the end of the shaft'6, the sleeve carrying on its outer end a fin l9 bent inwardly towardthe axis of the shaft as at 20 and bent upon itself as at M, thusforming a tip generally indicated at I9 and illustrated in broadside atFigure 4 which, while it varies in detail from tip I0, is still uniformand equal on both sides of the shaft 8. This tip also has the roundedends indicated at Isa similar to the rounded ends llib oi the tip itandserving the same purpose. Such a tip may be placed on the end of anyshaft without the necessity of slotting the shaft as hereinabovedescribed with reference to the embodiment illustrated at Fig.- ures1,2and 3.

At Figure 6 I have illustrated still another form of tip namely a moldedplastic unit comprising a sleeve or ferrule 22 adapted to snugly fit onthe end of shaft I and a tip 23, like tip I0 except that it is molded ofplastic integral with ferrule 22. Such a molded plastictlp may bereadily fitted on the end of any shaft 8 whereupon the projectile isready for use.

While I have illustrated and described many details of construction, itwill be understood that equivalents and alternatives will occur to thoseskilled'in the art, and such equivalents and alternatives are within thescope and spirit of my invention and I do not wish to be limited in myprotection to the details shown and described.

Iclaim:

1. A toy parachute device comprising, in combination, a projectilecomprising a shaft and a tip on the front end of the shaft which issubstantially the same on both sides of the shaft and has a straightforward edge lying perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft,and a parachute having a shrouds cord secured to the shaft and adaptedto be folded over said edge when the shrouds cord is thus secured andelastic means associatedwith the parachute and adapted to exert a pullon the parachute in the direction of the rear end of. the projectile.

2. In a device as defined in claim 1, said elastic means comprising anelastic link connecting a portion of the shrouds cord with the shrouds,

3. In a device as defined in claim 1, said elastic means comprising anelastic link in the shrouds cord.

4. In a device as defined in claim 1, said elastic means being too weakto overcome the air pressure which holds the parachute against the tipduring projected flight but of sufficient strength to move the parachuteon the tip when the parachute is not subjected to such air pressure.

5. In a device as defined in claim 1, a preformed single-piece tipcomprising a ferrule adapted to securely fit on the end of the shaft anda fin projecting forwardly of the ferrule and provided with saidstraight edge and projegting laterally of the ferrule equally on both sies.

6. In a device as defined in claim 1, a crown

